Toy fire-engine house and call box



Nov. 27, 1928.

F. W. WARNER TOY FIRE ENGINE HOUSE AND CALL BOX Filed 001..'8, 1925 Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

'FRED w. WAR-NER, or DENVER, COLORADO.

TOY FIRE-ENGINE HOUSE ANDWCALL BOX.

Application led October This inventionrelates to toys and it has for its principal object to provide a miniature lire house, which, when its doors are Opened from a distant point of operation, releases a self-propelling toy fire engine, hose wagon or other appropriate vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide at the distant point of operation above referred to, a miniature call or alarm-box such as are commonly used at street corners of vtowns and cities to apprize the fire or police department of a fire, and still another object resides in details of Vconstruction which permit of the manufacture of the toy at a minimum expenditure of labor and material.

lVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the combinations and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated and in which Figure 1 represents a fragmentary andV partially broken perspective View of the toy. Figure 2, an enlarged fragmentary section Figure 3 of the doors of the fire house, showing the form and arrangement of the spring by which it is opened, y

Figure 4, a section on the line 4 4, Figure 2, showing an endY of the, slide bar which releases the catches by which the doors of the fire houserare held in the closed position,

Figure 5, a section taken onthe line 5 5,

' Figure 2, showing the opposite end of the slide bar,

Figure 6, a face-view of the open alarm box, Y

Figure 7, a fragmentary section of the alarm box and the pedestal thereof taken in the plane indicated by the line 7 7 in Figure 6.

Figure 8, anenlarged section on the line 8 8, Figure 2, showing the construction of the catches on the doors of the fire house, and Y Figure 9, an elevation in outline of the fire house, showing a modification in the const-ruction thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the toy comprises threeseparate elements, namely, the fire house, designated by the nu- -meral 5, the alarm 'box 6 and the self-propely Y -l a. weighted handle `31 at the free end of the element is composed ling vehicle 7.

rlhe first mentioned of a base 8 upon which issupported a house 8, 1925. Serial N0.'61,238.

9 which in its simplest form consists of four walls and a roof. The rear wall of the house has'an opening l() for the insertion of the engine, and the thereto opposite front Wall has a similar opening 12 which is normally closed by two doors 13.

The doors are hinged by pins 14 at their upper and lower edges, inserted in apertures of the base and the upper edge of the dooropening and they are provided with hinged catches 15 which, when the doors are closed, engage a retaining lug 19 on a bar 20 which is slidably mounted on the base of the element.

The lug 19 is recessed to provide a ledge 19tl which is embraced by the hookshaped extremities of the two catches, and the bar on which the lug is formed is guided for longitudinal movement by screws 21 on the base extending loosely through slots in the bar. The ends o the bar are bent upwardly to provide ledges, one of which is apertured for the insertion of a hook 22 on a pull-cord 23, and the other of which is engaged by the end of a light wirespring 24 which at its opposite extremity is xed upon the base by means of a wire staple 25. i Y

The two doors of the fire house are opened by springs 26 which consists of simple lengths of thin spring-wire, the ends of which are bent and inserted in' apertures in the inner upright edges of the doors and the corresponding edges of the door-opening. The Wires are inserted in the openings when the doors are in the open position so that when the doors are subsequently closed the wires are torsioned to spring back to their original condition and exert an impellant action upon the doors when the latter are released in the op,- eration ofthe toy.

V The alarm-box element of the. invention ccnsistsiof a pedestal 27 upon which is supported a box 28 inusimulation of the alarmboxes` used at street corners of towns and cities; Y

' The pedestal is composed of a tubular stem fixed on a weighted basein which is mounted a small pulley 29 for the guidance of the pullcord 23.` A second Vpulley 30 mounted in the box, supports the cord after it has been drawn through the tubular stem ofthe pedestal, and

cordis suspended from the the path of a pro]ection 38 on the spindle of Y "the pulley in the box.

A door 32 hinged on the box and provided with a catch 33 closes the opening of the box when not in use. Either or both of theelements above described may be equipped with a gong that is sounded when the alarm-box is pulled. A gong 34 mounted, for example, at a side of the fire house, has a dapper-mechanism that is actuated by a cord 35 connected with the pull-cord 23, and a gong 36 mounted at a side Vof the alarm-box has in connection with its operating mechanism an arm 37 extending in `The third element of the invention consists of a toy vehicle of the spring-operated type, `preferably made in simulation of a fire-engine or hose-wagon.

' A vehicleof this kind maybe found in most toy shops` and` it is, per se, not a part of the present invention.

The operation of the toy, the fire house and the alarm-box are placed apart at a distance determined by the length of the pull cord, the

doors of the lire house are closed by the catches which engage the retaining lug on the slide bar 20, vand the vehicle 7 after its spring has been wound, is inserted in the fire house through the opening in the rear wall thereof vuntil its front wheels, designated by the reference character 39,V rest against the. doors as indicated in Figure 2.

A. distinctive feature of the invention isv fire engine to the point: of confiagration.

' When the cord 23 is pulled in the alarm box by manipulation of the handle 3l the consequent lengthwise movement imparted tothe .bar 2O releases the ycatches from the retaining lug 19 with `the result that the doors of the fire house are opened by the springs 26. Immediately upon the release of the doors, the vehicle which was restrained from act-ion by the contact of'its forward end with the doors,

moves forwardly under the `impellent inuenceof its previously wound spring, and upon leaving the fire house through the door *opening'in the front' Wallthereof, it will con-l Vitinueitsmovement ',nntil 'its vspring is un- A4wound'oruntil'itsprogress is arrested by con- -tactwith aiwall or piece of furniture.

" It'will thus y.be seen' that the toy providesV an vamusing andA entertaining` diversion -by imitating the actions incident to the giving Vof an alarm and the departure of afire company upon the discovery of alire, and the imagination of the youthful players may be further stimulated by the sounding of the gongs at either the alarm box or the fire ystation or at both places if so desired.

VIt is an aim of the invention to construct the elements included therein soV that they may be produced at low cost. TheV springs, for example7 acting upon the doors and the slide bar are of extreme simplicity and the alarm box and the fire house are so constructed that they can be made'of tin or other cheap material, the parts of which are fastened to gether by prongs as is common practice in the production of articles of this kind. The' pedestal of the alarm box can be cast of lead or other cheap composition and the basevof the fire house may be made of lwood or of bent metal if more desirable.

prised in the invention may be resorted tov within the scope ofthe appended claims, it

Vbeing intended, for example, in toys'of cheaper make to incline the floor of the fire house toward the door as shown at l0 in Figure 9 of the drawings and thereby cause the vehicle to move by gravity and without the use of a springwhen the doors are opened.

v Having thus described my invention, what I claim and 'desire to secure by lLetters Patent is:

l. In a toy, the combination'of a house element having a normally closed door, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, and means for releasing the door at a point distant from the house element.

2. In a toy, the combination of a house element having a normally closed door, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check' by the door when same is f closed, and springcontrolled means outside of the house element for releasing the door.

3.. In a toy, the combination of ahouse element having a normally closed spring-actuated door, a self-propellingvehicle element having propelling means adapted to be preset, said element beingheld in check by the door when same is closed, 'and means outside ofthe house element for releasing` the door.

4. In a toy, the combination of a house element having a normally closed door, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling means adapted to be'pre-set, said elementbeinfr held in check by the door when same is clsed, a call box element adapted to be placed Vat Va distance from the house element, and

means for releasing the door of the house ele ment at the call box element. l

5. Inl a toy, the combination of a house element having a normally closed door, a selfpropelling vehicle elementhaving propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, means outside of the house element for releasing the door, an alarm, and an appliance for sounding the alarm by action of the releasing means.

6. In a toy, the combination of a house element having a door. a catch appliance adapted to hold the door in a closed position, a selfpropelling vehicle elementv having propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, and a pull cord outside of the house element connected with the appliance to release the door.

7 In a. toy, the combination of a house element having a door, a catch appliance adapted to hold the door in a closed position, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, a pull cord connected With the appliance to release the door at a point remote from the house element, and a call box element having means for the movable support of the pull cord.

V8. In a toy, the combination of a house element having a door, a catch appliance adapted to hold the door in a closed position, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling mea-ns adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, a. pull cord for the adjustment of the appliance to release the door at a pointremote from the house element and a call box element comprising a hollow pedestal, a box thereon, and means for the movable support of the pull cord passing through the pedestal into the box.

9. In a toy, the combination of a house element including hinged doors, pivoted catches on the doors, a slide bar having a retaining lug for engagement with the catches, a single piece of spring wire fastened at one ,end on the house element engaging the bar at its opposite end and urging the lug into engagement With the catches, a pull cord on the slide bar to release the doors at a point remote from the house element, and a vehicle element restrained by the doors when same are closed, means to propel the vehicle when the doors are opened.

10. In a toy, a house element having a hinged door, a spring to open the door, composed of a single piece of Wire fastened at its ends at an edge ofthe door and a corresponding edge of the door-opening, and torsioned When the door is closed, a vehicle element adapted to be automatically propelled when the door is opened, a catch appliance to hold the door in its closed position, and means connected with the appliance to release the door at a point remote from the house element.

11, In a toy, the combination of a house element having a normally closed door, a selfpropelling vehicle element having propelling means adapted to be pre-set, said element being held in check by the door when same is closed, a call box element adapted to be placed at a distance from the house element, an alarm on the call box, and means at the call box for releasing the door and sounding the alarm.

12. The combination with a support and a door hinged thereon, of a single piece of spring Wire extending lengthwise with relation to the pivotal axis of the door and fastened at its ends to the door and to the support, the Wire being applied to the door in an open position to be torsioned by the pivoted movement of the door to a closed position.

In. testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

FRED W. WARNER. 

